


Fools

by eriathiel



Series: Fools [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, One Shot, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 21:04:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10579458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eriathiel/pseuds/eriathiel
Summary: In that form, she was Evelyn Trevelyan - not his boss, or the leader of the most powerful movement in Thedas, but a friend...and the woman he had feelings for.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at writing in this fandom because I got the idea and it wouldn't leave me alone. Probably going to make a series out of it because I love these dorks. Also posted on FF.net.

Evelyn was pale - paler than usual. Often they joked that she could return from a decade in the Western Approach with a complexion that yet still resembled fresh milk. Such a thing was befitting of a noblewoman, he supposed, no matter how much she adamantly distanced herself from her social status. But this...This was different. Unhealthy. Grey, almost. 

“Inquisitor?” He asked softly.

“Oh,” she blinked in surprise, looking up for the first time “Cullen, I’m sorry, I thought-...Nevermind. How can I help?”

Her voice was filled with weariness, and she avoided his gaze, looking at his chest or over his shoulder rather than in his eye.

“Are you alright?” He frowned, hand holding the reports falling to his side.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she shook her head, dragging a hand through her hair as she shuffled the mountain of papers on her desk.

“Evelyn…” he hedged unsurely, not wanting to overstep but not wanting to leave the topic be, either.

When she did meet his gaze, the conflict in her eyes was plain to see. They’d grown closer over the last months - frequent chess games, walks on the battlements when neither of them could sleep, chatting in the kitchens after war meetings whilst they picked at whatever food was left out. The Maker had a way of throwing them together. It wouldn’t be completely outlandish for her to discuss her troubles with him. The problem was, Evelyn didn't seem to discuss her troubles with anybody. She had an affinity for the Iron Bull, Varric and even Cassandra at times, but even then as far as he could discern, her happy-go-lucky attitude remained firmly in place.

“I’m just tired,” she admitted before faltering “...A little run down, maybe.”

As she admitted it, she seemed to wilt a little more. Her shoulders hunched, a hand moving self-consciously to her face, bottom lip between her teeth. Before he could respond, however, she continued.

“But it’s ridiculous of me. After what our men and our scouts are going through...Maker, even just the common people. I have no right to sit in my _castle_ and self-pity.”

“Being tired and being self-indulgent are two very different things,” he argued, taking a few steps forward before softening his voice a little “And nobody could accuse you of the latter.” 

Evelyn looked him directly in the eye now, and for a moment he was struck by how young she looked. It was easy to see her as ‘the mighty Inquisitor, Herald of Andraste’ out in the field or in the war council, with her hair pulled back in a long plait, dark armor designed to make her look taller, angular and intimidating - all edges and ice, with stony determination painted across her face. The woman in front of him now was an entirely different person. One who his heart went out to, really. This was no place for a young, innocent lady to find herself in. On the days she chose to dedicate to paperwork, she opted for fairly plain loose-fitting dresses (a habit from her days in the circle, she’d admitted one day) and left her hair down in dark waves, only serving to emphasise the brightness of her eyes. He secretly thought she was a sight to behold during councils, as she stared at the map and he could almost see the cogs turning behind those eyes to work out the best approach. On the occasions when he chanced upon her in her rooms or late at night, she’d often be bundled in furs or a blanket. The first time he’d seen her like that, she’d taken his breath away. He had a hard enough timing maintaining a professional, collected demeanour around her at the best of times, but on that evening he was sure he’d stuttered twice as much. Even the memory made him wince.

In that form, she was Evelyn Trevelyan - not his boss, or the leader of the most powerful movement in Thedas, but a friend...and the woman he had feelings for. But that wasn’t what struck him now. Her hair was in disarray, her eyes not so bright and plagued by dark circles, brow furrowed. She looked so young, so drained. A long moment passed in which neither of them said anything, and was then lost as her attention flickered to the reports in his hand.

“Are those on the situation in Crestwood?” She asked, extending an arm.

He noted the straight, fading bruises scattered along her forearm. Close quarters with a Venatori mage who ended up lashing out physically with his staff, if his memory of her last report served well. How two mages could end up in hand to hand combat escaped him entirely, but he made a mental note to anonymously send an elfroot salve to her quarters at some point.

“They are, but you won’t read them until I’m sure you’ve eaten something,” he responded simply, moving the papers behind his back.

“Cullen,” she sighed “It’s sweet of you, but I’m not hungry.”

He tried not to blush at her calling him sweet, and although he probably failed miserably, he still did his best to assume an authoritative voice.

“I’m willing to wager that you haven’t eaten all day.”

Evelyn looked down and pressed a hand to her face, and for a moment he thought he may have to give up. But then she sighed and pointedly closed the ink pot on her desk.

“I’ll be right back,” Cullen gave a victorious smirk before turning to leave.

“Cullen?” She called softly, making him pause “...Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

After Cullen left her quarters, Evelyn resisted the strong urge to press her face into the desk and groan. If he didn’t think her incapable before, he certainly did now. Moving quickly (and ignoring the consequent rush of dizziness), before he’d have a chance to return, she splashed cold water on her face and brushed her hair, hoping she looked a little less rundown for her efforts.

 She had just thrown open the balcony doors to let some fresh air in by the time he reappeared, wielding a tray of fruit and a few scraps of meat. He’d taken her seriously when she mentioned her lack of appetite, at least. They sat on the oversized sofa in her rooms - she worried that moving to the bed might have certain implications - the tray between them as she insisted he shared the food with her.

 “...A while ago you mentioned your family,” she murmured, plucking a grape from the platter.

 “I remember,” he nodded.

 “Do you miss them badly?”

 “At times. But it’s as I told you in Haven - the Order became my family,” he replied before fixing her with a knowing look “And, of course, I left willingly.”

 “I imagine that helped,” she gave a dry laugh, before wincing at how biting she’d sounded “Sorry…”

 “I didn’t take it personally,” he reassured “Josephine isn’t one to talk about other people’s business, but she has...suggested that the Circle wasn’t particularly kind to you.”

 Under normal circumstances, if Cullen initiated talks of a personal nature, he sounded wary and unsure. Now he sounded pissed. He masked it well, but it was enough of a change for her to notice.

 “It wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” she said carefully.

 When hearing of allegations of abuse in the Circle - particularly towards women - minds tended to leap to one conclusion. Luckily, things had never escalated to that level. Not for her.

 “I don’t know if I can say that it wouldn’t have gotten to _that,_ had we not rebelled. But that wasn’t why I got involved in the rebellion. I remember just constantly thinking ‘If we win this, I’ll see my brothers again’. I was never very outgoing - if you can believe it, I was even worse than I was younger than I am now. I didn’t make many friends before I went to the Circle, spent all of my time trailing after Caleb and Mathias...Luckily they didn’t mind. They indulged me. When I was taken, I no longer had that. I pined for it. Then, of course, the Conclave happened...If we don’t succeed...All of those nights hoping,” she sighed, nibbling on a slice of apple before deflating “What would people think if they knew how selfish the Inquisitor’s motivations were?”

 “There have been worse,” Cullen disagreed “And probably still are, within the Inquisition. You want to save the world so you may see your family again. It’s hardly a motive worth criticising.”

 “Let’s just hope it’s enough,” she muttered.

 “We’ll succeed, Evelyn,” he said it so surely that she couldn’t help but believe him “You’ll see your family again.”

 

* * *

 

 

Evelyn couldn’t help but smile when she spotted Cullen in the courtyard upon her return to Skyhold some time later.

 “Happy to be back?” Bull smirked knowingly from beside her and she shot him an unamused look, cheeks flaming.

 “Heart racing as eyes meet, it’s been so long - Maker, _too long_. I’m a fool, it could never happen, you could never feel the same way...rank, roles, too many things in the way, you _deserve better_ , but seeing you here, now, after so many nights of worrying...so much thinking...What am I getting myself into?” Cole chimed in now, Evelyn growing more and more horrified at each word that escaped his lips.

 “Cole!” She hissed, looking around to ensure nobody had overheard whilst Bull chuckled “Remember our conversation about not sharing my thoughts with others?”

 “But they weren’t your thoughts,” Cole blinked at her innocently and Evelyn’s entire world stopped.

 As she froze, unable to form words, Bull’s laughter only increased and she could’ve sworn she heard Cassandra give a wistful sigh behind them, which was quickly masked by a cough.

 “I thought you’d be happy…” Cole surveyed her reaction unsurely “It’s what you’ve wanted for so-”

 “You just gave the boss a lot to think about, kid,” Bull mercifully cut in “She’ll be fine.”

 Their horses were reaching the small reception that had gathered, Evelyn’s mind racing as she did her best to recover from what Cole had just said. Could it be possible that Cullen felt the same way? No, it was preposterous. What could a man like that possibly see in a mousy little Circle mage? One who could barely look him in the eye half of the time? But Cole never lied. She wasn’t even sure he was capable. It was all she could do to stare at Bull dumbly as he muttered a “Go get ‘em, Trevelyan!”

 “Inquisitor,” Cullen greeted, assisting her as she slid from her horse “It’s good to see you back in one piece.”

 “C-Commander,” she nodded, internally wincing at the stutter “How, uh, how have things been? In Skyhold?”

 She could barely pull herself from her thoughts enough to string a sentence together. Had he really missed her? Maker, did he really have _feelings_ for her? The idea seemed absurd - surreal and heavenly, but absurd.

 “We’ve managed to hold things together in your absence,” he chuckled, but then his brow creased as she had to reach out to her horse to steady herself “Are you feeling alright?”

 Almost tentatively, he extended a hand to grasp her arm, which didn’t help matters at all.

“I...Yes, sorry, it was a long journey...It’s just tiredness,” she breathed, feeling a rush of gratitude towards Bull as he herded bystanders away with promises of a round of drinks on him.

 He looked like he wanted to say something, mouth opening a little before closing again as he hesitated. He must’ve caught the questioning look on her face, but thankfully misinterpreted the reason behind it.

“Actually, Inquisitor, there’s an urgent matter I need to discuss with you,” he admitted.

“Oh?” She blinked, questions of feelings and relationships slipping from her mind immediately “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“It’s...best discussed in private.”

“Has a meeting been called?” She asked, following him up the stairs to the keep.

“Your quarters would be more suitable, I think,” his tone was unreadable, and it only served to make her more nervous.

What could have happened that he wanted to tell her in a place completely removed from the rest of Skyhold? Unless...Could it be related to his apparent feelings for her? No, that didn’t make sense. In light of Cole’s information, a lot of Cullen’s behaviour - mannerisms which she’d previously completely written off as her seeing what she wanted to see - now made sense. Nervous laughter, rubbing the back of his neck, raking his hands through his hair, even stuttering a little. A side of himself he never showed in the war room...and a side he wasn’t showing now.

If Cole was right about his thoughts, and those thoughts _were_ about her (the prospect of them being about another woman sent a streak of pain and anxiety through her), they weren’t what was weighing on him now. She did her best to match his stride through the main hall - no mean feat considering their height difference - and by the time they reached the door to her chambers, her mind and heart were both racing.

He was silent the entire way, but she did notice him side-eyeing her every few moments, and by the time they were climbing the steps _in_ her quarters, she couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“Commander, you’re starting to worry me,” she said reluctantly, glancing up at him.

To her surprise, the slightest hint of a smile played on the corners of his lips “All in good time.”

“Well do Josephine and Leliana know of the...situation? Whatever it is?”

“No, it didn’t seem fitting to tell them before you.”

“Cullen, what in Andraste’s name is going on?” She sighed, giving into her frustration once they reached the top of the stairs, turning on him with her arms folded.

“The blasphemy’s new,” a third voice joined their conversation and Evelyn froze.

No. It couldn’t be. She stared at Cullen, unable to move at all to face the source of the new voice. However, judging by the smile on the Commander’s face…Could it? Eventually her feet cooperated, and she gasped at what she saw. Her eldest brother, Caleb, looking shockingly vulnerable in the middle of her quarters. Within seconds she’d crossed the room and was clinging to him, failing miserably to stem the flow of tears running down her face.

“I’ll give the two of you some privacy,” Cullen murmured softly somewhere behind her.

“Cullen, wait,” she tore herself from the hug and ran towards him, surprising the both of them by wrapping her arms tightly around him “Thank you. So. So. Much.”

She made sure to say the words slowly and deliberately, trying to convey just how much his actions meant to her. Then, in a rush of bravery, she kissed him softly on the cheek. He returned the hug after a split second of surprise, one hand sliding down from her shoulder blades to the small of her back. At the kiss he seemed even more taken aback, and for a second she wondered if she’d made a mistake before she felt him smile. The moment was over when she let go, stepping back with a shy grin.

“Eve- Inquisitor,” he coughed, nodding to her and then her brother  “Lord Trevelyan.”

Evelyn and Caleb ended up sitting on the balcony, and once tears and sentimentality were out of the way it became a game of catching up with one another, and getting to know each other once again. Caleb was older, maturer than when she’d last seen him almost a decade ago, hair longer and clothes neater. He seemed to have grown into the heir that their parents had wanted.

“Mathias wishes he could’ve been here, but his wife is due to go into labour any day now. I assume he plans to come here afterwards, should there be enough time…” the implication that everything might be over so soon was heavy in the air.

“He’s married? That’s amazing,” she smiled a little “I never thought he’d find a woman who’d tolerate him. What about you?”

“You know me - I’ve always had larger, grander things on my mind. Not a romantic bone in my body.”

“I _knew_ you,” she corrected with a grimace.

“I don’t think mother’s ever been happier with you, you know,” he changed the topic, a noticeable edge to his voice at the mention of their mother “She can’t stop boasting about her little Evie being the Inquisitor.”

“Last I heard, as far as she was concerned she didn’t have a daughter,” Evelyn scoffed “I’m stunned she can’t see the irony in suddenly now being proud of me because of a magic even more volatile than my own.”

She flexed her hand, displaying the mark, flaring green. Caleb eyed it warily.

“Is it painful?”

“Only when I laugh,” she deadpanned, giving the same response she’d given Josephine - and anybody who asked since “What do the others say?”

They all had work to do, the last thing they needed to concern themselves with was whether the mark was causing her harm.

“About you, or mother’s sudden change of heart?”

“Either.”

“Whenever she tries to play the proud and doting mother in public, Mathias and I openly challenge her on it. We’ve made quite a few scenes and unofficially been banned from attending gatherings,” he smirked smugly “But if my suspicions prove right, father will take up our role. He’s never behaved the same towards her since you were taken to the Circle.”

Evelyn grimaced, not sure if she was smug or sad to hear that.

“What was it like?” He asked softly.

That had been the question she was dreading. She bit her lip, looking over Skyhold.

“Not good,” she settled on “You know how it goes - the quieter you are...the warier, the more of a target you make yourself. Nothing truly abhorrent happened...but it was enough to make me more scared of the idea of returning there than I am of facing Corypheus.”

“That won’t happen. You won’t let it. I won’t,” he said simply “...And neither, I think, would your Commander.”

Evelyn fixed him with an unamused look.

“I’ll admit, I pictured many possibilities as to what you might be like nowadays. None of them included you in the arms of a Templar,” he spoke curiously.

“Ex-Templar,” she corrected.

“So you are together, then?”

“No,” she disagreed “Cullen and I are close, but...We’re not that.”

“And will that always be the case?”

She glared.

“Alright, alright, I’ll let up for now. But this isn’t the end of this conversation,” he raised his hands in mock-surrender. I haven’t been able to brother you for quite some time. I need to make the most of it now.”

Once they’d exhausted every topic they could think of, Evelyn decided it was time her brother met her inner circle. It was surreal, watching her Caleb interact with them. Her old life seemed so disjointed from the one she led now, and suddenly they were colliding. He was delighted with Bull’s role as her bodyguard in the field, nodding with clear approval when he took in the sheer size of the Qunari. They became fast friends. It was then that she thought that maybe this collision wasn’t such a bad thing. There was something endlessly comforting in knowing her brother approved of the people she surrounded herself with - he even endured Dorian’s heavily flirtatious remarks with an attempted good humour...although he didn’t hide his slight discomfort well enough to make Dorian stop - she guessed the amusement was far too much of a temptation for her fellow mage.

When he began a drinking contest with Blackwall, Sera and Bull, she decided it was time to leave. The inability to rest after such extensive travelling was taking its toll. That, and she had somebody to thank. Though she had a feeling she’d never stop thanking Cullen for what he’d done. The solitude that the courtyard provided at night also gave her her first opportunity to consider fully what Cole had said. Cullen arranging for her brother to come to Skyhold certainly backed up that theory. As much as she tried to convince herself it was simply a caring, friendly gesture, she couldn’t quite picture any of her other friends doing the same.

The day’s revelations seemed to magnify the looks she garnered from the guards as she passed them on the battlements. Once she would’ve thought the looks to be because she was the Inquisitor, or the Herald, but now they felt knowing. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or even more anxious when she reached Cullen’s door, knocking softly and receiving a muffled “Yes?”

She opened the door only a little, slipping through the gap and closing it quickly behind her in an attempt to keep the freezing night air out. As usual he sat behind his desk, at work. For once, however, he wasn’t in armor, but instead a shirt and breeches. She stared dumbly at this for a moment, before reminding herself that he probably wasn’t expecting to be disturbed this late - and she definitely wasn’t doing herself any favours by staring like a fool.

“You shouldn’t be working this late,” she admonished gently.

“Evelyn,” he greeted, seeming surprised to see her, but with a small smile which she hoped was pleased.

“Everybody’s in the tavern,” she approached the desk, wishing not for the first time that there was a chair at the other side of it so she could sit “Why not you?”

“I thought I’d allow you and your brother time to get reacquainted,” he shrugged “It didn’t seem like something I should impose on.”

“You’re never an imposition,” she murmured so quietly it was almost a whisper, feeling emboldened by Cole’s words and the ale Sera had badgered her into drinking.

She wasn’t, however, feeling brave enough to leave the words and their implications hanging in the air, so she quickly continued “In any case, the others aren’t quite so gallant as you. Caleb’s currently embroiled in a drinking match with the three musketeers.”

Cullen chuckled at that, making a display of abandoning the paperwork on his desk and leaning back in his chair, taking her in.

“Why aren’t you there to support your kin in such a reckless endeavour?”

“Oh, my presence won’t be missed,” she joked “I fear he’s replaced me as everybody’s favourite Trevelyan.”                        

“Not mine,” she was sure he’d intended it as a joke, but the tone was off - soft and serious.

This, he left to hang in the air, regarding her warily.

“I honestly can’t think of a way to express how grateful I am,” she admitted, dropping the joking facade “When we talked about my family, I never dreamed that...”

“He seems like a good man.”

“He said the same about you,” she smiled “Which means a lot, coming from him. After I was taken to the Circle...well, let’s just say it marred his view of Templars, and anybody with ties to the order. You must’ve really impressed him.”

“Was leaving your family really that bad?” He asked reluctantly.

“I didn’t know it was happening until the day it happened,” she admitted, breaking eye contact “I...Screamed, cried, wailed, fought...My father and uncle had to physically restrain my brothers from battling the Templars who’d been sent to fetch me.”

“And your mother?”

“The second I was outed as a mage I ceased to be her daughter, in her eyes,” Evelyn scoffed, wrapping her arms around herself “Although I hear that now, with my new status and titles, she’s reverted to adoring me.”

“I’m sorry.”

This wasn’t how she’d intended for things to go. She wanted to be attractive, desirable, to draw his true feelings out, not to look like a battered puppy.

“No matter, being the family rebel is rather glamorous,” she tried to play it off as a joke, but the soft expression didn’t leave his face.

“You’re very brave, Evelyn.”

Great. Battered puppy it was. She bit her lip and said nothing - what could she say?

“And beautiful.”

Her head shot up and she met his gaze carefully. This time he sat back, holding the eye contact with more confidence than she’d ever seen from him outside of official duties. The ball was in her court, it seemed.

“Cole said something to me today,” she began softly.

“Oh Maker,” he muttered, slowly rising from his chair.

“It was when I saw you in the courtyard, when we got back,” she continued carefully, watching as he rubbed the back of his neck, standing an arm’s length away but refusing to meet her gaze.

“I can explain-”

“At first,” she held up a hand “I thought it was my mind he was reading, and I was mortified. Andraste knows Bull doesn’t need more ammunition against me for his teasing...But then, he explained that the thoughts he was projecting weren’t mine.”

The look on his face was half-suspicious and half-stunned - something she’d never thought possible until that moment. Like he wanted to speak, but wanted to be certain of what she was saying first. Apparently it was going to take more than hinting, then.

 “Cullen,” she sighed “I care for you. As more than just a colleague, and as more than just a friend...and if you don’t say something soon I’m going to feel very, very foolish.”

It could have only been seconds before Cullen responded, but it felt like hours. Hours during which Evelyn went over any and every reason she could think of as to why he mightn’t return her feelings. He was a good ten years or so older than her, what if he saw her as nothing more than a silly little girl? She was a noble and he wasn’t. This, she didn’t view as a drawback on her part, but she feared he might - he’d made his little patience for the nobility more than clear at times when his advice for a dilemma had clashed with Josephine’s, which was often to contact the nearest Lord and ask for their assistance. Then there was her newest title to contend with. She was the Inquisitor. It was more likely than not that she wouldn’t be alive to see the end of this war. The mark that prickled in the palm of her hand was a constant reminder of that. Why should he tie himself to somebody with her fate? How could she ask that of him?

Maybe it had been Cassandra that Cullen had been thinking of when Cole voiced his thoughts. She wouldn’t blame him - they were both warriors, and Cassandra was a force of nature. Who wouldn’t admire her? She’d founded the Inquisition, Evelyn had simply been thrown into it. Perhaps she hadn’t seen anything to suggest there was something more between the two, but Cullen didn’t seem like the type to hopelessly and blatantly moon over somebody he had feelings for. Suddenly she regretted saying anything, anxiety replacing the wine-induced bravery.

Keeping her eyes planted on the floor, she steeled herself for rejection. The hesitant sigh and the “I’m very flattered, but…” followed by looks of pity. How would she face him after this? Without the usual clink of armor to give away his movements, he was surprisingly stealthy. She didn’t even realise he’d approached her until his boots came into view. Still, she struggled to muster the courage to look at him. Still unable to bring herself to look at him, she almost jumped out of her skin when he brought a finger to her chin, gently urging her to turn her face upwards. She complied, noting dumbly that he wasn’t wearing his gloves. His hands were warm. Her heart pounded in her chest at the reined in intensity she saw burning in his eyes. For a moment nothing happened. They simply stood there, frozen in place, as he seemed to search for something in her eyes. It was then that her anxiety slipped away both from her mind and from her posture, and this must have been what he was looking for, for it was also then that he kissed her.

The kiss itself remained relatively chaste, as she eventually relaxed into him, relishing in the feeling of his arms enclosing around her as she shifted to the balls of her feet so he wouldn’t need to stoop so much. However his lack of armor made it feel all the more intimate as she tentatively ran her thumb over the stubble at the side of his jaw, her other hand moving to his shoulder for leverage.

He made a low, almost disbelieving, noise at the back of his throat and they parted, but remained in the embrace.

“I...I never-” she began unsurely, but was interrupted by the door almost slamming open.

“Andraste’s ass, what could-” Cullen began to growl, letting go of her to turn and give the intruder a piece of his mind...and then froze.

“I came to wish my sister a good night,” Caleb’s eyes flickered between them, one eyebrow arched “When she wasn’t in her quarters, a guard told me he’d last seen her come up here.”

Caught between trying to comprehend what had just happened, and what was now happening, Evelyn could only stare dumbly. Cullen wasn’t faring much better, however.

“Lord Trevelyan,” he managed “We were just, uh, you see…”

“Call me Caleb,” her brother’s expression shifted from unreadable to amused, the drink clearly boosting his merriness “But I see she’s in capable hands, so I’ll leave the two of you be...For now. Goodnight, sister.”

“G-goodnight,” she breathed, cursing internally at how ridiculous she sounded.

Once the door was shut, Cullen brought a hand to his face and muttered several curses to himself.

“That...wasn’t how I imagined it going,” he admitted softly when he turned to face her once again.

“You imagined it?” She asked, smiling softly.

“I...In my my more fanciful moments,” he admitted, flushing a little, fingers brushing against hers.

“And how did you imagine it?” She tilted her head.

“Without your brother,” he snorted, smirking a little before his face softened again “But I never dared to hope.”

“Me either,” she admitted, biting her lip and grasping his hand “I have a feeling we’ve both been fools.”

“I had the same feeling,” he murmured, squeezing her hand gently.

“Bull’s never going to let me hear the end of this,” she joked softly, leaning into him.

“He’s been harassing you, too?” He leant backwards a little so he could see her face, eyebrows raised.

“Endlessly!” She laughed “Don’t tell me you’ve been hearing all of the same things?”

“Maker’s breath,” he groaned, but there was no conviction behind the exasperation “Whenever he catches me alone. I thought he was just being stubborn.”

“I suppose we should be thanking him.”

“Or Cole...Which is something I never thought I’d say.”

Evelyn smiled “See? He really does help people.”

Cullen simply kissed her again.

 

* * *

 

 

In the Herald’s Rest, Cole stopped Bull as he made his way past him to his rooms.

“Are you sure I helped? When you told me to tell the Inquisitor what Commander Cullen thought of her…She didn’t _seem_ happy. You said she would be. She looked scared.”

Bull smirked, remembering the anxious flush on Evelyn’s face as she left the tavern that night. There was no way she would’ve been that worked up if she was leaving to go to her own rooms. He was also fairly sure he’d seen her take a right upon leaving, rather than continue straightforward in the direction of her own quarters. There was no way that Cullen would turn her away. The Commander did a good job at playing the uptight chivalrous role, but he’d seen the looks he’d sent Evelyn’s way. Hell, he’d seen the looks he’d sent _his_ way when he thought he was getting a little too handsy with the boss.

“Yeah, kid. I’m sure you did,” he chuckled, nodding in approval at the relief that washed over Cole’s face “You’ll see.”


End file.
